Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

ग्रसनं कटिवस्त्रे तु यमं गृह्य बलोत्कटः । भ्रामयामास वेगेन संभ्रमाविष्टचेतसम्

Transliteration

grasanaṃ kaṭivastre tu yamaṃ gṛhya balotkaṭaḥ | bhrāmayāmāsa vegena saṃbhramāviṣṭacetasam

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ബലോന്മത്തനായ ഗ്രസനൻ യമനെ കട്ടിവസ്ത്രം പിടിച്ച് വേഗത്തിൽ ചുറ്റിച്ചു; അതിനാൽ യമന്റെ മനസ്സ് കലുഷിതമായി.

Word by Word

• ग्रसनम्: a seizing/grasping (hold)
• ग्रसनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कटि-वस्त्रे: at the waist-cloth
• कटि-वस्त्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कटि (प्रातिपदिक) + वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कट्याः वस्त्रम्)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• यमम्: Yama
• यमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गृह्य: having seized
• गृह्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having seized)

• बल-उत्कटः: mighty/very strong
• बल-उत्कटः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्कट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (उत्कटं बलं यस्य/बलवान्)

• भ्रामयामास: whirled (him) around
• भ्रामयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु) [णिच्]
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच् (causative: 'made whirl')

• वेगेन: with force/speed
• वेगेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• संभ्रम-आविष्ट-चेतसम्: whose mind was seized by confusion
• संभ्रम-आविष्ट-चेतसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संभ्रम (प्रातिपदिक) + आविष्ट (कृदन्त; आ+विश् धातु, क्त) + चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (संभ्रमेण आविष्टं चेतो यस्य)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narration to sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Grasana grips Yama’s kati-vastra and spins him violently; Yama’s crown tilts, garlands flare outward, horses and chariot blur with circular motion lines; Yama’s face shows momentary disorientation.

Characters & Entities

• Grasana
• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When strength becomes arrogance, it seeks to dominate even dharma’s guardian; Purāṇas caution that such defiance ends in correction and downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.